Cushion for saddles.



No. 674,45l. Patented May 2|, I90I.

W. I. BUNKEB.

v cusHloN FoRfsAnnLEs.

(Application led g'g. 2, 1897.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

wamwm/ 29% v UNITED STATES `ATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM I. BUNKER, OF LAGRANGE, ILLINOIS.

CUSHION FOR SDDLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,451, dated May 21, 1901. Application filed August 2, 1897. Serial No. 646,785. (No model.)

To ctZ' whom, t may concer-7;..-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM I. yBUNKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lagrange, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cushions for Saddles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of saddles known as velocipede or bicycle saddles, and has for its object the providing of a simple, economical, and efficient cushion therefor; and the invention consists in the features, combinations, and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved cushion looking at it from the top; Fig. 2, a transverse sectional view taken through a completed saddle and cutting the cushion on line 2of Fig. l; Fig. 3, a top or plan view of a cushion, showing the peripheral band extended,

so as to embrace or cover the upper surface of the tissue or cellular resilient material constituting the cushion proper; Fig. 4, a bottom or under side View of the cushion shown in Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 a longitudinal section of a saddle complete With the cushion of Fig. 3.

In the art to which my inveiition relates it is well known that there is considerable objection existing to saddles of the rigid type, for the reason that the pneumatic tire of ordinary construction does not take up all the shocks or jars incident tol riding and many forms of saddles not having proper means for ventilation become quickly heated or overheated. My invention is primarily intended to remove these objections and provide a simple, economical, and efficient cushioned saddle.

I prefer to make the cushion for my improved saddle in the form shown in the drawings, molded in shape to conform to a supporting base portion and in that shape Which is known as hygienic, this being best adapted for the purposes of riding. I make a lattice-work A, arranged in a crisscross manner, forming what I call vertical open-ended tubes or cellsf-that is, tubes or cells open at one orv both ends, integral with each other, and preferably held or bound together by a circumferential rim or border B and an inner rim b. It will thus be seen that each of these tubes is capable of. vertical and lateral compression, forming, as it were, a multiplicity of tubular cushions which yield locally to thel rider without distending or contracting other portions of the saddle, and the tubes being filled with air form practically an atmospheric cushion of peculiar construction. This provides for ventilation and when in use makes a cool and comfortable saddle.

While I prefer to use both an outer and inner rim, as shown, it Will be understood that either or both of these rims may be omitted,

as desired, and While I prefer to have the rims or borders of the same Width throughout, as shown, it will be understood that they may be made 0f varying Widths or extended so as to cover parts or surfaces not requiring free ventilation.

The peripheral rim or border, where full and free ventilation is not desired, can be eX- tended so as to overlie or cover the entire up# per surface of the resilient material constituting the cushion proper, and such construction is shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, where the peripheral rim or border B is continued and forms a top or cover B over the entire surface of the cushion proper, A, formed of the multiplicity of vertically-extended tubes or cells o., corresponding to the cushion proper of Figs. 1 and 2. This construction does not interfere with the combined vertical and lateral movement and the simultaneous vertical and lateral compression of the cushion, so as to have the cushion yield locally to the rider Without breaking down or impairing the efficiency of any one tube or cell or any number of contiguous tubes or cells. The cushion as a Whole constitutes an atmospheric cushion, and the continuation of the border or rim over the tissue or cellular portion forming the cushion does not impair or aect the cushion, but merely continues the support of the border or rim over a greater area of space. The cushion of Figs. 3, et, and 5 is of the same formation and construction except as to the continuation of the peripheral border or rim, as the cushion of Figs. 1 and 2, and has a wide seat portion C, with a narrow projecting pommel c, and an elongated central opening c',-

IOO

with a peripheral Wall b, comprising in these as shown in Fig. 5. .Y

The saddle is preferably made broader transversely at the seat portion C and with a narrow projecting :pom-mel c and provided with an elongated central opening c. As

shown, it is formed or molded in the shape of a compound curve to meet scientific and hygienic conditions and afford a safe and comfortable seat for therider.

In forming the completed saddle the cushion is preferably inclosed in an upper leather coveringD and a lower leather covering D', forming a complete closure, the covers being united at the lower edges d by the use of cement, rivets, or threads, as desired. The supporting-plate e is of course between the cushion and the lower leather covering.

The cushion proper, whether provided with..

a peripheral band or rim or with an extension over its upper surface, is composed of a tissue of individual cells or tubes, which are arranged in such relation and are so joined and integral one with the other as to cause each individual cell or tube to support,'by the union and conjoining of its walls with the walls of the adjoining cells or tubes, the vadjoining cells and also to cause the adjoining cells or tubes through their walls to support the correlated cells. The arrangement is one by which the continuity of the cells is u nbroken both laterally and longitudinally, and this construction enables the walls to be made very thin, so as to give the yielding or cushioning effect and at the same time have the continuity of the walls furnish a support against the crushing or breaking ydown of any one cell or series of cells and to also furnish a supportv for the cells as a whole which will return any one cell or any number of cells back to normal condition after an excess of pressure is released. It will thus be seen that the cushion is one which yields under pressure as required and which will not break down or crush readily and will return to its normal condition.

The cellular construction of cushion forming the essential feature of the invention is one in which the cells have an integral relation one to the other, with a formation for each cell by which its walls or sides are free to corrugate, curl, or wrinkle under the effect of a local pressure, each wall having the possibility of corrugating, curling, or wrinkling independently and of flexing, bending, or doubling without breaking the integrity and Acontinuity of the cells as a whole, thereby giving a different effect and a different result and action than is accomplished through the ordinary compression of a resilient body.

The cells each have their surrounding walls or-sides of a f thickness the AYnature -of which will permit the flexing or doubling or bending of a wall or side forgiving acorrngating,

hurling, or wrinkling of the material which -w-ill .produce fa resistance -without any rending,`breaking down, or giving away of the cellular tissue, and for this purpose, in order Vto enable the' flexing, bending, or doubling to be utilized in producing al corrugating, curling, orwrinkling, the cells should each be of a-depthfand breadth fwhich -will :allow the tion, curl, or wrinkle .to which the cushion would besuhject.underrpressnre The action ofthe corrugating,'curling, or wrinkling of the `walls or sides is'one thatwill permit the cushion toy sink downlocally' under a rei sistance, drawing the 'adjoining cells .bodily towardV the pointof greatest depression and placing the walls ,or sides of the cells'adjoining the depression vunlder a' stretch or expan` sion which will operate to return the cushion a whole to its vnormal conditionv when the local v,pressure is `removed 'without `any deteriorating or ill e'ect from the pressure. The thickness of the walls will ldepend upon thedepth of the cushicn3'but in any event the walls or sides areA tobe of a membranous nature, with a sucient thickness naturally to stand by' themselvesy without deiiecting and at the same time thin enough to yield without compression under a localv pressure, and the degree of. thickness can be varied so long as the Wall or side is thick enough to stand alone, and yet thin enough not to compress when subjected to a local pressure,but free to flex, double, or bend and have a corrugating, curling, or wrinkling given thereto under the pressure.

The principal advantages'of my invention are that it may be economically made, readily lits the rider, is'thoroughly'ventilated, and yields or gives locally to conform to the anatomy of the rider, and :generally to take up the small vibrations or shocks notV taken up by the ordinary pneumatic tire.

I claim- 1. In a saddle, the combination of a supporting base-plate, an inclosing cover, and a cushion of resilient material, interposed between the cover and base-'plate and having a body composed of a series of open-ended cells, formed by intersecting walls yof a membranous nature having the capability of'standing alone and the adaptability of curling or corrugating` under pressure lpermitting the cushion to yield in use without collapsing or breaking down any individual cell, substantially as described.

2. A cushion comprising a tissue of individual cells or tubes formed of `intersecting walls or strips of a membranous nature, having the capability of standing alone and the IOO IIO

adaptability of curling or corrugating and of supporting each other by their union, permitting the Walls or strips to separately Hex or bend and separately curl or corrugate under pressure, substantially as described.

3. A cushion for a bicycle-saddle made of resilient material and having a body divided by lateral and longitudinal vertically straight integral walls or strips crossing each other at right angles and forming a tissue of vertical cells or tubes having Walls of a lnembranous nature With the capability of standing alone and the adaptability of curling or corrugating under pressure and supported against downward pressure and held against lateral and longitudinal yield of any one individual 

